Tension for steering-knuckles



LIJ. RUSSELL. TENSION;FOR STEERING KNUCKLES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE-l2, I920.

Patnte'd Sept. 20,1921,

v lowing to be a PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS J. RUSSELL, OF OILTON, OKLAHOMA.

TENSION FOR STEERING-KNUCKLES.

Application filed June 12,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lnwrs J. RUssnLL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oilton, in the county of Creek, State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tensions for Steering- Knuckles; and I do hereby declare the folfull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to attachments for the steering mechanism of motor vehicles, and the object of the vsame is to provide a tension device for one or both the pivots between the steering knuckles and the reach rod connecting them, to assist in holding the steering wheels set, so 'as to lighten the labor incumbent upon the operator, to hold therdrli so When'driving over a rough or sandy roa It is well known to motorists that great vibration takes place in the steering wheels of a car when driven over a road which is rough, sandy or muddy, and the motorists arms and shoulders will feel the strain of a long trip. I have found by experience that if the pivots between the connecting reach rod and the steering knuckles can be stiflened, as by the application of more or less tension to one or both of them, the tiresome results of a drive over rough roads are ameliorated.

The purpose of the present invention is, therefore, to produce an attachment which can be quickly applied to one of said pivots, (orthe user might put one on each pivot) and can be tightened up to increase the tension to the desired extent.

Details are set forth below and shown in the drawings, wherein:

Figurel is a diagrammatic plan view of the steering mechamsin at the front end of a an ordinar automobile with one of these tension devlces in place.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section through the tension device and a portion of the connectingrrod.

ig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the attachment applied.

The front wheels IV have spindles S pivoted to the ends of the front axle A and from said spindles, knuckles or arms K project at right angles, usually to the rear, and are connected by a reach rod C so that they may be swung in unison by the steering mechanism Specification of Letters Patent.

will enable Patented Sept. 20, 1921.

1920. Serial No. 388,513.

ghereof only part ofthe rod M is shown in In applying m attachment, I remove the bolt which pivotafly connects one of the knuckles with one end of the reach rod C, and replace it by a longer bolt 1 with the head 2 preferably at the bottom so that its threaded end rises some little distance above the fork l) of the knuckle or on the connecting rod in which the knuckle K is pivoted. Over the upper end of the bolt I pass a disk 3 from which projects a radial arm 4 having a downturned fork at its outer end whose arms 5 pass ast-ride the knuckle. Over the disk 3 I pass an upper disk 6 also having a radial arm 7 and a downturned fork, the arms 8 of the latter passing astride the connecting rod 0. Onto the upper end of the bolt I now pass a stiff coiled spring 9, with or without a washer 10 at its lower end resting on the upper disk, and with or without a washer 11 at its upper end; and above the latter I apply a nut 12 and preferably a lock nut 13. By setting up the nut 12, tension on the spring is increased and the reverse. Obviously the tension 0 this bears the faces of the disks into frictional contact, and as each disk has its fork arms passing astride one of the members (the knuckle or the rod) it is obvious that when these members turn on their pivot, the disks must turn with their faces in contact, and therefore the expansion of the spring serves as a tension device or brake to resist such turning.

I have found in driving my machine on a rough road that this attachment is of great assistance, because it prevents the deflection of the steering wheels from their proper course too easily, While yet it is possible for me to turn them as necessary in avoiding ruts and obstructions or in turning corners. The fact that the disks are quite exposed permits a certain amount of dirt and sand to get between them, but this is not objectionable as it increases the friction rather than otherwise. \Vhen driving on good roads or in the city, the entire attachment can be removed or the tension can be reduced to a minimum by adjusting the nuts. I have shown only one of the attachments in Fig. 1 but, of course, two could be employed if preferred.

What is claimed is:

A tensioning attachment for steering knuckles consisting of a pair of friction disks in mutual contact, a pivot bolt engaged centrally through the disks, a helical spring upon the threaded end portion of the bolt and adjusting nuts engaged with the bolt, the head of the bolt being at the opposite side of the disks from the spring and the length of the bolt being sufficient to receive between it and the adjacent disks the joint of a knuckle and reach rod through which the bolt is to be passed, the disks having each a radiating arm with prongs at its Y outer end, the prongs extending in the same direction at right angles to the planes of the extension of the orresponding arm from its disk.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in the presence of two Witnesses.

LEWIS J. RUSSELL.

Witnesses:

E. B. SWALLUM, S. E. JOHNSON. 

